October 17

2349 B.C. - Approximate Date That the Ark Rested on Mt. Ararat.

Genesis 8:4

As you know, the ark represents the Lord Jesus Christ. Its three floors represent the Trinity. Its one door represents Jesus as found in John 10:9. The ark was the safety of Noah and his family even as Jesus in our safety from future condemnation. May we pause to thank God today for Jesus our Ark of safety and lean upon Him heavily, not only as our Saviour from sin, but as our strength and refuge for today.

1931 - Capone Goes to Prison.

On this day in 1931, gangster Al Capone is sentenced to 11 years in prison for tax evasion and fined $80,000, signaling the downfall of one of the most notorious criminals of the 1920s and 1930s.Alphonse Gabriel Capone was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1899 to Italian immigrants. He was expelled from school at 14, joined a gang and earned his nickname "Scarface" after being sliced across the cheek during a fight. By 1920, Capone had moved to Chicago, where he was soon helping to run crime boss Johnny Torrio's illegal enterprises, which included alcohol-smuggling, gambling and prostitution. Torrio retired in 1925 after an attempt on his life and Capone, known for his cunning and brutality, was put in charge of the organization.Prohibition, which outlawed the brewing and distribution of alcohol and lasted from 1920 to 1933, proved extremely lucrative for bootleggers and gangsters like Capone, who raked in millions from his underworld activities. Capone was at the top of the F.B.I.'s "Most Wanted" list by 1930, but he avoided long stints in jail until 1931 by bribing city officials, intimidating witnesses and maintaining various hideouts. He became Chicago's crime kingpin by wiping out his competitors through a series of gangland battles and slayings, including the infamous St. Valentine's Day Massacre in 1929, when Capone's men gunned down seven rivals. This event helped raise Capone's notoriety to a national level.Among Capone's enemies was federal agent Elliot Ness, who led a team of officers known as "The Untouchables" because they couldn't be corrupted. Ness and his men routinely broke up Capone's bootlegging businesses, but it was tax-evasion charges that finally stuck and landed Capone in prison in 1931. Capone began serving his time at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, but amid accusations that he was manipulating the system and receiving cushy treatment, he was transferred to the maximum-security lockup at Alcatraz Island, in California's San Francisco Bay. He got out early in 1939 for good behavior, after spending his final year in prison in a hospital, suffering from syphilis.Plagued by health problems for the rest of his life, Capone died in 1947 at age 48 at his home in Palm Island, Florida. (www.history.com/this-day-in-history/capone-goes-to-prison)

A Special Sabbath in Israel.

It was the ending of the week begun by the Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement began on October 10. (At least it was the seventh month of their calendar, which is October, and the 10th day. Perhaps this would not correspond exactly with our October 10.) The 17th day of this month was a special Sabbath, a day of rest. Why not spend some time in restful meditation today. Think upon the things of God. Read several chapters in the Bible. Spend some time in prayer telling God of your needs and asking Him to supply them. How we need days of sabbatical rest in our generation. Though the sabbaths have been nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14-17), the idea of rest and meditation is certainly needed today.